


No World for Tomorrow

by AnomolisticBeauty



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Relationships, Family Feels and Fluff, Gen, Graphic Depictions of Illness, M/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Redemption, Suffering, Violence, lots of suffering, mild body horror, redemption arc, terminal illness AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-11 17:45:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7063078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnomolisticBeauty/pseuds/AnomolisticBeauty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Looking death in the face can change a man. 25 years after the accident that changed his life, Vlad Masters is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He's thought about his death more times than he could count, but never before in the context of stopping living. Danny's a snoop and finds out, becoming his emotional support, while also dealing with a surge of strange ghost activity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

What the hell did I do to deserve this?

Vlad Masters stared blankly at the manila folder lying on the desk before him. The chime of the grandfather clock across the study echoed loudly in his ears, somehow still managing to sound miles away while simultaneously being absolutely deafening. His stomach felt like it was filled with lead, and static buzzed in his head as too many thoughts and emotions suffocated him. Truth be told, he had done a vast number of things, if he wanted to try to reason it out with something like karma, or whatever greater power of equality. Any number of them would probably make him deserve it. That didn’t make it any less of a hard pill to swallow.

There must have been a mistake. Of course! After all, there was a reason he had laid his trust in Nicolae; had even made him his private physician. When he had called Doctor Ardelean with his concerns, he had been too busy with his private projects and affairs to attend Vlad himself. Vlad understood this. He was funding the man and he himself had a busy schedule as well, being the businessman that he was. And that wasn’t taking his any of his ghostly affairs into account. After the Doctor heard Vlad’s worries though, he referred him to a specialist friend of his to go ahead and get some basic tests done; he would return to Wisconsin to look over the results and see Vlad himself as soon as he could. This specialist may have been a friend of Doctor Ardenean’s, but Vlad couldn’t put very well put faith into him, now could he?

Vlad scoffed loudly and shoved the folder to the side, trying to shove the results to the back of his mind as well. Besides! Even if the contents were accurate, he had plenty of options at his fingertips. He would just have to talk to Nicolae when he arrived.

An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he stood, pinching the bridge of his nose as his eyebrows knit together. Another headache nagged at him, a near constant lately. All it did was bring the papers in front of him to the forefront of his thoughts again. He shook his head and composed himself, cramming the folder into a drawer of the desk, twisting a key into the simple lock that graced the front before sauntering out of the study.

The half-ghost made his way towards the door of his laboratory, phasing through walls that separated the many rooms of the extravagant castle. Being in his home meant not having to worry about using his powers for convenience, so doors and hallways seemed pointless more often than not. He had hired help, of course. Maids, a gardener, a cook, and the like. But he kept them to a minimum and made it a point that he didn’t see them often, preferring his solitude. He slowly made his way down the stairway into the lab, unsurprised to see his ghostly associate already waiting for him near his portal that lead into the ghost zone.

The ghost, a tall creature with fiery green hair and a mechanical exo-suit of a body, crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently, grumbling under his breath. “You’re late.”

Vlad simply looked down his nose at the ghost, a bored breath escaping him in response before he tersely replied. “Oh, calm down, Skulker. We both know you don’t have anywhere urgent to be. Especially since I helped you repair your little schedule issue in your suit.”

The larger ghost, Skulker, flushed angrily but bit his tongue, remembering the utterly annoying and embarrassing scheduling program that had been incorporated into his system during his initial hunt of the younger half-ghost whelp.

Vlad strode over to the ghost and the cage next to him. He briefly glanced into it at the horrific ghostly creatures it contained and gave a curt nod, satisfied.

Skulker uncrossed his arms. “And my payment?”

Vlad reached into the breast pocket of his flawlessly pressed suit, pulling out a small microchip and tossing it over. “You know I don’t go back on my word. I only recently finished the development process, so it’s more advanced than anything on the human market currently, and easily more advanced than anything you’ll find in the Ghost Zone. It should provide just the upgrade you’re looking for.”

Skulker caught chip midair and inspected it for a moment before inserting it into a slot on his arm, running a quick diagnostic on it before smiling and nodding back.

They had started this give and take relationship years ago. Skulker often did mundane dirt jobs for the half-ghost, and kept his stock of ghostly creatures full for the man to experiment on and for security for his multiple properties and homes. It meant Skulker got the thrill of a regular hunt and even got paid for it. Vlad supplied him with gadget and tech upgrades. Sometimes they were things that one of his companies had been developing, and other times they were things Vlad had personally designed or worked on. Everything from upgrades for his suit and software, to new weapons for him to add to his extensive collection.

“Ensure that their control collars are intact and release them. You already know where.” Vlad waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave again. He had planned on working some more on some of the unfinished projects that lay neglected down in his lab, but the dull ache in his skull was turning into a sharp pain. Instead he would get some rest and have a drink to relax before he returned to his current plans for the later in the evening.

Skulker gave a slightly annoyed look at the man’s back and scoffed. “Such lowly beasts are no match for the ghost-boy, you and I both already know. They’ll be but a nuisance for him. Why are you even bothering with such a trivial scheme?”

Vlad stopped in his tracks, not bothering to turn around to reply. “Because, unlike you, I don’t want the boy dead. I just need him busy and out of the way so I can attend to my own matters without him getting underfoot and muddling them up again. Keeping your enemies eyes on something else keeps them off of you. If you’re really the Ghost Zone’s greatest hunter, you should recognize that.”

Skulker gave a knowing nod before tending to his task. It was such a menial commission, honestly beneath him, but many of the tasks he took care of for Vlad were. But that was the point. It was usually things he was good at and the payout was well worth the little time and effort it took.  
Vlad made his way quietly up the stairs and back into his home after his final comments to the hunter. He didn’t owe the ghost an explanation, so long as he was paying him for his work. 

Normally he would say as much and dismiss the ghost, but the steadily growing ache distracted him it seemed. He started to head back to his study but stopped himself, knowing what awaited him in the room and knowing that it would only bother him more. He quickly dismissed the idea and turned to head towards one of the other many rooms in his home, finally settling on his master bedroom.

A small mini-bar, built into the corner of the room, sat neglected. There wasn’t much point in partaking in it usually, since he had a full bar elsewhere in the castle. Besides, he had never been the type to drink away his anger or sorrows or worries, let alone before bed or rest. It called to him, though, as irritation pricked at him. He made his way over to it and prepared a glass, dropping in a few pieces of ice before pouring over them from a freshly opened bottle of brandy.

The drink was smooth and sharp as he took a sip, sitting down on the edge of the immense four poster bed. After a brief moment the ache that was bothering him dulled and he sighed, hunching forward and resting his elbows on his knees. A million thoughts raced through his mind, while at the same time he couldn’t grasp a single one of them. He felt blank. The static feeling came back, but at least it was better than the persistent ache that had been bothering him.

He tipped his head back, swallowing the last of the drink from his glass in a single gulp before putting it down on the bedside table with a loud clink. A quick glance at the watch on his arm ensured that he had alarms set for himself before weariness consumed him. He lay down on top of the covers of his bed to rest briefly before he had to tend to his plans for the evening.

 

That night, sadly but unsurprisingly, said plans went to absolute hell and back.

 

Vlad stood in his former best friends’ and college roommate’s basement. Across the room, Jack and Maddie Fenton were bound together by the tentacles of a rather large ectopuss. They had put up quite a fight, but ultimately were overpowered by the sheer number of ghostly creatures overtaking their lab. Vlad had transformed and went about his mission wearing the guise of his ghost half, Vlad Plasmius. Or, as Jack Fenton had taken to calling him, the Wisconsin Ghost.  
He easily ignored their struggles and threats, making his way towards a wall covered in gadgets and weapons, stopping in front of the disorganized workbench before it. He quickly glanced over each item until he found what he was looking for. A small handheld device that acted as diagnostic equipment. It could scan and detect ectoplasmic signatures, as well as countless others. Vlad had worked for a long time trying to create his own, only to have failed repeatedly. Some issue with the scanner settings that he was unable to get quite right. Vlad had to give his former college buddy credit in that aspect, at least. The man was an utter buffoon, but for as many blunders her created, he had just as many moments of genius when it came to ghost technology. If things had been different, they could have been unstoppable. Well, if things had gone differently…

Vlad reached for the device when he heard a shout from behind, the wind knocked from him as he was sideswiped and slammed into a wall.

The young man had grown much in the past 5 years since they first met. He had sprouted up and stood nearly at eye level with Vlad now, and years of fighting ghosts had strengthened him, toning his muscles so that he filled out the black and white jumpsuit finally.

The bruises that peppered his face were new. Those could probably be attributed to the slew of creatures that had been keeping him busy and away from the Fentonworks building until now. The younger halfa dragged the back of his hand across his mouth, wiping away a small trickle of ectoplasm, and tossed a large metal collar at Vlad’s feet. An ornate “V” etched onto it.

“The next time you want to keep me busy, don’t put your name on your pets’ necks. You’re an old dog with old tricks, Plasmius.” Danny sneered, annoyed more than anything.

Vlad chuckled and pulled himself from the wall, debris falling around him. “So good, Little Badger. I expect too little of you.”

Vlad raised a gloved hand, pointing it at the younger man. He opened his mouth to retort again when he froze. He stood still for a moment, trying to grasp at what he was going to say and do. A trickle of panic set in as he glanced up at Danny again. “Daniel?” He looked back down at his hand, confusion and fear bleeding into his vision.

Danny’s eyebrows knit together, confusion setting in for only a moment before he jumped into action. Plasmius had always been a trickster. Why, that confused face almost looked innocent. Almost looked real. The looney old fruit loop must have been taking acting classes.

“Don’t give me that. Now tell me what you’re up to and get the hell out of here!” Danny shouted, his fists clenching at his sides for a moment before he charged Plasmius.

Vlad’s eyes widened momentarily. Panic swelled in him and turned to rage as his mind went into overdrive, trying to remember what he was doing. He dodged the first swing and glanced around the lab. His gaze swept over the diagnostic scanner and all the pieces fell into place again.

Vlad lunged, snatching up the scanner as he tucked and rolled away, regaining his composure. Damn it all to hell.

Danny watched him snag up a piece of his parents’ tech and zeroed his focus in on the item. He wasn’t able to identify what it was at a glance, but whatever it was, he didn’t want Plasmius getting his hands on it. No matter what it was, it could never be good. Bright green energy formed around Danny’s fists as he fired multiple energy strikes. Vlad chuckled and threw up a shield easily to block the blasts. He immediately threw a hand up to return with a blast of his own, but stopped after a moment. Panic and anger formed like a lump in his throat as his hand simply refused to respond. The words ‘decline in motor control’ flashed in his mind for a split second. “Oh butter biscuits, please no…”

Danny quirked an eyebrow. “Begging doesn’t suit you, Plasmius.”

The younger halfa grabbed the older of the two and threw him over his shoulder, slamming him hard into the floor of the lab. He reached down and easily snatched up the small piece of equipment, stepping away again to look down at Plasmius. Confusion set in as he looked at him.

A flurry of emotions ran through the older halfa’s red eyes. Anger. Pain. Confusion. It was far too real to be fake. Danny took a breath, about to say something else. The quick intake of breath caught Vlad’s attention, his eyes snapping over to him, searching. He sat up slowly, groaning and pressing his gloved hands around his head, gripping tightly. “No. NO. NO. NO! I HAVE TO!” Vlad yelled, his face between his knees and towards the floor. The yelling turned to whispering. Far too quiet for anyone to catch.

Danny backed away a step or two before resolving himself and stepping towards Plasmius again, tilting his head and trying to hear him. He reached out a hand, unsure what he was even trying to do. Soothe or comfort the man in what seemed to be a moment of delirium? Slap some sense into him? What if it was a trap?

Vlad could feel his heart racing for moment. Probably from the adrenalin because of his moment of panic. He knew this. He could reason it out. But actually acting on that realization was taking him longer than he liked. His repeated loss of focus and momentary memory lapses distressing him past the point of easily calming himself. He loosened his grip on his head, looking up ever so slightly, unable to focus for a moment. Movement out of the corner of his vision suddenly got his attention though and he was able to focus on it. Daniel. That’s right. Daniel was there. Why was Daniel there again?

Vlad quickly rose, hovering a few inches off of the floor, standing as tall as he could. He needed to leave. Staying here like this wouldn’t get him anything and would mean trouble. He sneered at the younger halfa angrily as he could. “Until next time, Phantom…”  
Plasmius gripped the side of his cape, making a show of wrapping it around himself before fading away and fleeing into the Ghost Zone, making his way towards the portal that led into his home as quickly as he could.

Danny’s lips pursed together for a moment. “Oh no you don’t…”

He remembered the piece of equipment in his hand and looked to his parents. The ectopuss that had been holding them had let go and run away when it’s master had fled. Before they could have the chance to turn on him as well and try to capture him, he waved the item at them. “Um, here. I think this is yours.” He gingerly placed it on the counter nearest to him. “Sorry, I’d love to stick around but I gotta take care of this. You guys should be okay now. Bye!”

Danny quickly took off into the Ghost Portal before either of the scientists could respond or act. He was curious what it was that Plasmius had been trying to get his hands on, but he could check it out later in his parents’ lab when he wasn’t masquerading as the number one spook on their ghostly wanted list. For now, something seriously nagging at him. Plasmius had been acting weird. Weirder than usual. It reminded him of how Tucker’s grandmother had been for a few years before she passed away. Like it was a struggle to focus on the here and now.

Danny was so deeply lost in his thoughts in the subject, he didn’t notice the dark form coming at him full force.


	2. Chapter 2

Danny gasped, regaining his composure as quickly as possible as he turned to look at what had just hit him like a freight train. “What now?”

He wondered if he had strayed too close to a ghost’s realm. He was usually more cautious, but in his haste maybe he had slipped.

Floating a few yards from him was a young woman he had never seen before, though. He knew most of the ghosts who resided in this area of the Ghost Zone, and it was rare for an entirely new realm or ghost to pop up without him noticing. From the looks of her, she was a newly spawned ghost. Her form, strangely, wasn’t very stable, fading in and out despite being in the Ghost Zone. She was heavy set, with pale green skin and a mop of frizzy red hair, sticking out around her. Her white dress billowed around her as she took heavy, labored breaths.

“Hey… are you okay? If you’re new to the Ghost Zone, maybe, I could help you out. I know it can be kind of scary and confusing-“ Danny’s sentence was cut short by a high pitched shriek escaping the woman’s mouth as she charged at him again, fingers outstretched, grasping. The unexpectedness of it made Danny falter. His reaction was sluggish, and she managed to grasp the sides of his face. She pulled his face in close to her own and screamed again, practically a howl. It was in that moment that Danny noticed the burst blood vessels in her eyes. Blue veins shooting off in every direction where the whites of her eyes should be. A milky color clouded across the entirety of both eyes.

He gripped her wrists and pried himself from her grasp, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the crazed woman. She hung limp where he had left her, arms slack and her breathing labored as she lazily stared in his direction. Her eyes didn’t quite focus on him though. They almost seemed to look through him.

Concern creased Danny’s brow. It wasn’t common for new ghosts to act so… feral. It was the only word he could think of that fit.

He cautiously outstretched his arm again, his palm open and facing her. “Hey… My name is Phantom. Danny Phantom. You may not have heard about me yet if you’re new… but I help people. Let me help you.”

For a moment the woman looked up at him, seeming to register his voice, if barely. Her breathing slowed as one of her arms started to reach up towards him hesitantly. Suddenly she ticked her head to the side, ever so slightly, as if a noise had caught her attention. After a moment she started to shriek, black bile beginning to slip out of her mouth and her gaze locked onto Danny again.

“Oh, that can NOT be good…” Danny’s eyes widened in horror and he grit his teeth together so hard he could feel the ache deep in his ears. He gulped hard.  
The ghost lunged at him again. This time he was prepared though. He grabbed the redhead by her outstretched arm and tossed her away from him and into a nearby door. He cringed and hoped that whoever’s lair he had just loudly banged on wouldn’t notice or, at least, not be angered at the commotion. His hand quickly went to the thermos strapped to his waist. 

He wanted to end this as quickly as possible and, from the way things were playing out, he wouldn’t be able to just talk this out. The lid of the thermos popped off with a slight tug and Danny pointed the open end in the direction of the ghost. The ghost let out another shriek and clawed at her face as the light enveloped her, sucking her inside. Danny slapped the lid back onto the thermos with an audible pop and sighed. The sudden silence after the ghost’s shriek had been cut off was almost deafening.

He tiredly looked up in the direction of Vlad’s portal. It was still a good distance away, and after his sudden interruption, Danny wasn’t sure if he was up to pursuing the older halfa anymore. Let alone confronting him.

He let out another loud, agitated sigh and ruffled his hands through his snow-white mop of hair before slamming them to his sides.

“I’m done! I’m tapped out… Halley’s Comet, today has been a long, weird day…”

A quick glance at the thermos reminded him of another problem he was left to contend with. 

Usually the Fenton Thermos was a way to capture and contain ghosts in the human world until he could safely return them to the Ghost Zone where they couldn’t cause trouble. There had only been a few exceptions, but in those instances Clockwork was usually involved and took care of things past that point. What should he do with a dangerous ghost that didn’t have a lair he could just drop it into?

He momentarily thought of Walker’s prison but dropped that idea faster that a hot coal. The ghost was a danger to herself and others, but far from some criminal, at least to Danny’s knowledge. Not to mention he and Walker were still on pretty shaky terms, having some vastly differing opinions on the laws of the Ghost Zone and how they should be upheld, and he didn’t want to instigate anything. He had enough on his plate.

Danny let out a breath and patted the thermos ever so slightly. “I guess you’re coming with me for now… I sure hope Dad got that containment unit he was blathering on about done.”

After taking a moment to stretch his arms over his head and pop his neck, Danny hopped up and kicked off of a piece of floating debris, using it to propel himself back in the direction of Amity Park again.

 

Vlad flung himself through the portal into his lab, full force, panting heavily. He stumbled as he dropped from his feet to all fours on the group. His head hung low as the ordeal just now played through his head on repeat. Over and over and over again like a never ending loop. It made his head buzz and ache. Adrenalin pumped through him. He leaned back onto his heels, putting his hands up to grip the sides of his head. “What the butter biscuits was that, Plasmius? Hmm? Pitiful.”

Dark rings appeared around his waist as he changed from his ghost form to his human form. The instant the rings disappeared, the buzzing in his head felt as if it was getting louder. The pain more pronounced. Nausea hit him like a wave and he swallowed down acidic bile. His vision was blurring as he pulled his hands down again and turned them towards his face, staring at them as if he didn’t recognize them.

His vision focused again after a moment, with some effort on his part, a slight tremble to his fingers. It unsettled him deep down to his core, making the normally fiery heat inside him feel bitterly cold.

He gripped his hands tight, forming two fists to cease the tremble.  
After taking a moment to ease his breathing and racing heart, he rose to his feet again, brushing himself off and letting out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. Willing the ache in his head away, he somberly made his way back up to and through his castle. Nicolae had best make good time returning…

 

Doctor Nicolae Ardelean did, in fact, arrive quickly, as he had promised, all things considered.  
He was a man who didn’t look his age. Dark, long curly hair, wasted on the man, as he had been told often over the years, framed a long face with high cheekbones and a square jaw. He was of medium build and towered even over Vlad, which was quite a feat in and of itself since he stood tall, at a little over 6 feet. He was nearing his mid-60’s, but didn’t look a day over 40.  


Doctor Ardelean and Vlad had bonded and formed an unspoken trust years ago, when he had been called in as a specialist to deal with Vlad’s life-altering case of ecto-acne. Vlad took quickly to the man, taking note of his distinct last name and finding that, like himself, the doctor had been a child of immigrants from his home country of Romania. The distraction of having something in common helped Vlad cope while he went through more tests and treatments than he could count, even if he had wanted to. Not that he had. He had stopped after it reached the hundreds. It also helped him keep from focusing on the fact that his only two friends had never once tried to see or contact him after the horrific accident that they had even had a hand in causing, leaving him in this situation at all. Not that he much wanted them, especially Maddie, to see him. But the feeling of abandonment stung. He had no family left to come see him. Having Doctor Ardelean to talk to and confide in helped him focus on the future and what he could do to mold it to his advantage. It didn’t take long for them to start talking on a first name basis.  


After 7 long years, Vlad finally was released from his extensive treatment. By then he had taken steps to start what would be a very long, and successful career. Albeit, by illegal means mostly, often with some help of his ghost powers, since he had been honing them once he discovered them. He knew Nicolae had been devoting his life to his research, oftentimes lacking funding. They had spoken of it countless times late into the night as they grew closer. So he propositioned him an offer. Though he was a specialist, if he became Vlad’s personal, private physician, he would fully fund all of the man’s research and any expeditions himself. It meant that Vlad would have the discretion he wanted, when it came to his personal matters, and it would be care provided by the only man to have earned and kept his trust thus far. He wouldn’t have to worry about competency or bribery for personal information leaks. And in return, Nicolae would never have to worry about funding ever again.

For nearly 20 years, that arrangement had worked out well for them both. It was very seldom that Vlad ended up needing to call upon him, mostly just keeping up with each other during twice yearly standard checkups and tests to ensure that Vlad’s ecto-acne wasn’t resurfacing. During those bi-annual visits they talked like old friends and caught up on each other’s affairs and business advancements. They were almost enjoyable.

This visit wasn’t enjoyable like the rest, though. Quite far from it.

3 days after Vlad had failed to acquire his desired tech from Fentonworks, he found himself sitting in one of the wing-backed chairs in his study, across from Doctor Ardelean, the fireplace crackling in front of them to ward off the chill that permeated the room.

Vlad reclined lazily into the corner of his massive chair, his gaze looking through the embers of the fire more than at them. He sat calmly and quietly while the dark-haired man across from him read through the manila file in his hands. His eyes scanning the pages slowly as his forehead creased with concern. Finally, after a moment, he flipped the file closed and looked square at Vlad.  
“From your reaction, I guess it is safe to assume that there has been no mistake.” Vlad’s eyes never strayed from the fire as he broke the silence that had been lingering.

One of Nicolae’s fingers jerked and closed in tight on itself, giving an audible cracking sound. A tick that Vlad had noticed years ago. The older man did it reflexively when handling uncomfortable news, especially towards his patients. Vlad had seen that reflexive finger crack numerous times during his first 7 years in the hospital. Before the man even spoke, Vlad knew his response.

“Vlad… we can run the tests again. There will ALWAYS be a chance of false diagnosis. But…” The man’s voice trailed off as he worked the words around in his mind, unsure what to say.  
Vlad turned his head to look the other man in the eyes. His gaze unwavering. “After all these years, Nicolae, don’t. You and I both already know what it says and we know what this is. Just say it. I want you to say the words.”

Nicolae let out long breath through his nose, matching the younger man’s gaze.

“It’s Stage IV brain cancer, Vlad. In all likelihood, probably because of the radiation exposure from your ‘incident’ all those years ago.”

“Is there treatment?” Vlad’s eyes were still firmly set on the other man, void of any emotion or reaction.

“Well… yes. We can see if surgery is an option, after some more in depth tests. There’s also radiation treatments and there are medications that may help. However… being the stage that it’s presented itself… it’s quite advanced-“ His words were cut off at the end and his eyes were drawn back to Vlad.

“How long, Nicolae.”

It was a statement more than a question.

One of Nicolae’s hands reflexively touched the folder in his lap. “With vigorous treatment, I would guess 12 – 16 months. Without? 3 months at most… from how your symptoms have been presenting… I’m sure you’re feeling it, aren’t you?”

Finally, for a split second, Vlad’s eyes flashed with emotion. The reality finally starting to seep into them ever so slightly.

But as quickly as it had been there, it was gone again. His voice was low when he finally responded. “Yes… I have.”

“It’s... highly doubtful we’ll be able to completely get rid of it, honestly. But we can ease the symptoms and give you as much time as possible.” 

Vlad simply nodded, acknowledging that he had heard the man. His throat was restricting slightly and the dull ache in the back of his skull was flaring up.

Nicolae nodded softly in return before reaching across and placing a hand on Vlad’s knee. The older man almost flinched at the touch, but stopped himself.

“My research can be relocated back here again. It’s not location sensitive. I’ll oversee this, every step of the way until the end, no matter what that means. You have my word, Vlad. We’ll be as aggressive as possible with treatment and take care of you. I mean, after all, you’ve fought the impossible before. We’ll do it again.”

Vlad guffawed slightly, smirking to himself. If only this man knew the half of it.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, what exactly was the old kook trying to get his hands on?”

Danny rubbed his face with his free hand, sighing loudly. He looked to the phone screen in his hand, the face of one of his long time best friends taking up the screen. The young woman had kept to her rather dark and gothic aesthetic over the years, looking much the same as she had in their younger years, with the exception of buzzing one side of her head and adding a few facial piercings to her look.

“I dunno, Sam. I got my dad talking about it while we were working the other night and he said it was some kind of ecto-diagnostic sensor or scanner or something. That it can give biological breakdowns of things in addition to sensing ecto-signatures. I think it’s a more advanced version of that old ghost sensor and translator he made back when we were in high school. Maybe a redesign since that old one was a hunk of junk.” Danny pinched the bridge of his nose.

Getting his dad to talk about the tech his parents were working on was pretty easy. He had always enjoyed blathering on about it at any chance he got, whether the person listening was a willing audience or not. Since graduating high school though, Danny had started working for his parents part-time. His GPA had suffered greatly since he had to spend so much of his time fighting ghosts, so college seemed like a pipe dream. Though his parents had been initially disappointed in him, the idea of him taking up the torch from them quickly changed their minds. This meant Danny got to stay better in the loop when it came to their designs, which made his ghost hunting significantly easier. It was a far shot from what Danny had hoped and dreamed his life would be by the time he was nearing his twenties, but he couldn’t just give up fighting ghosts. It just wasn’t an option. At least this made certain aspects of the job easier.

So it didn’t come off as suspicious in the least when Danny questioned his dad about the device a few days after his encounter with Vlad in the lab; it just looked like work talk. It also gave Jack a chance to rant and rave about the Wisconsin Ghost and the Ghost Boy fighting in the lab.  
Danny let himself flop back so he was lying on his back. He let his eyes wander from the screen to gaze at the pitch black sky above him, only broken up by the slight twinkling of the stars between patches of cloud cover.

The raven-haired girl shook her head. “Well, that’s weird… any idea what he wanted it for?”

Danny shook his head. “Not a clue. It’s been almost a week and I haven’t heard a peep from him.”

“Well, keep your ear to the ground. You know he’s too stubborn and thick-headed to just give up if he wants something.” Her lips pursed, and her tongue clicked in disgust.

“Yeah I know, Sam. Believe me, I am… Just… He was acting so weird. It was really out of character. He seemed like he was confused?” Danny couldn’t shake the troubled feeling that the encounter had left him with.

“Yeah, well, you know good he is at faking, Danny. How many times has he done the two-faced number to manipulate people? It’s practically his calling card. Just be careful. He’s ALWAYS got an ulterior motive.” Danny could see the irritated and angry look that crossed her face even from the corner of his vision.

“What about that ghost? Anything new?” Her expression changed to one of curiosity.

Danny’s eyes slid back to the screen. He had gotten his hands on the containment unit his dad had designed and managed to get the feral ghost transferred to it safely. The containment was like a miniature observation tank that shrunk ghosts down to a more manageable size. It reminded Danny of a clunky looking aquarium and in any other situation he probably would have laughed at his dad’s ridiculous predictability. He’d managed to hide it away in his room where his parents wouldn’t find it and was keeping an eye on the uncontrollable ghost. For a few days she had continued to act just as crazed as when he had encountered her, snarling and throwing herself around any time Danny uncovered the tank and tried to talk to her. The past few days though, she had seemed to calm down. Despite any attempts Danny made to communicate or get her to respond though, she just ignored him. She seemed lethargic and dazed and oftentimes slept like, well, the dead. This particularly was strange to Danny because ghosts didn’t NEED sleep. Not the vast majority of them, at least. It was a habitual thing, not out of necessity. The way she seemed so… separated from everything was off-putting and made him uncomfortable and he couldn’t pinpoint why.

“She’s calmed down at least. I’m hoping if she stays that way I can stick her back in the ghost zone soon. I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s… wrong. I don’t know how to describe it…” The distressed look on his face worried Sam slightly. He had a bad habit of getting so enveloped in problems with ghosts and the Ghost Zone that he lost himself in it and it took a toll on him. She was about to try to derail the conversation when Danny spoke up and did so for her, sensing the awkwardness that was trying to seep into the conversation.

“So, how are you enjoying Cambodia?”

Her face instantly brightened, her eyes sparkling like the stars up above. After graduating, Sam had decided to put her money to good use and went on multiple Projects Abroad tours, doing all sorts of community service and conservation volunteering. Currently she was in Cambodia, conducting marine wildlife surveys and doing waste management workshops.

“It’s so rad, Danny! I feel like we’re really making a difference here!” Sam suddenly reminded Danny of his father. Rambling on and on about what they were so utterly passionate about. He couldn’t help but be a little envious of them. It brought an infectious smile to his own face that felt genuinely good deep down into his core. She prattled on for a while longer, Danny zoning in and out of the conversation, nodding and mumbling “mhmm’s” when appropriate. Something about seahorses and reef check methodology. After she had seemed to calm down some, he finally spoke again.

“So how much longer will you be there?”

Her face fell slightly. “Oh… uh, well… I was actually supposed to go to Sri Lanka after this, but I feel like I’ve finally found where I’m making a difference. I changed up my lineup and signed on for another tour here. I’ll be here for at least 3 more months… I can take a week long break to come back home between tours though, if you want!”

Danny shook his head. “No, no, it’s okay! I promise! I was just curious. I’m really glad you finally found what you want to do. I’m so happy for you to be able to do what you’re doing.” They both knew his words were honest but had a slight flatness to them.

She frowned, but shrugged it off as best as she could, knowing it wouldn’t do any good to push the subject. “Have you heard anything from Tucker lately?” 

Danny shook his head. “He’s busy with that robotics competition, plus, I think he has finals coming up. It’s kept him busy, so I don’t expect to hear much out of him until the end of the semester. The last time we talked he fell asleep on the phone. And let me tell you, I could practically smell his breath from here he was drooling so much.”

Sam laughed loudly at the mental image.

Danny’s voice quieted ever so slightly. “I just miss having you guys around sometimes, Sam. Amity Park feels a lot different without you guys here. Yeah, video calls are GREAT and they help a ton. But… I just miss having our trio around.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Danny? Are you sure you should be doing the hero thing solo? I don’t want you to burn out or get hurt.” Sam’s image on the screen seemed to zoom in as she huddled closer to the phone, wishing she could transfer the feeling of a hug virtually.

Danny smirked, hiding any of the negative feeling that had startled to bubble up in him. “Yeah, I’m good! Just getting sentimental! You know me, I’m a big sap; I get it from my dad. I just feel like it gets too quiet without you two to bicker and liven things up for me.”

Sam nodded, only partially believing him. “Okay, Danny. Well, the next time you talk to Tucker, we should do a three-way call. Make it like old times.”

Danny grinned and nodded. He honestly looked forward to it. His attention was drawn to the screen again as Sam looked off into the distance over her phone and muttered something to someone off-screen. She looked back to Danny, apologetic.

“Well, hey, I’ll shoot you a message when I’m free again. If you get in touch with Tuck, tell him to call me, too, sometime. And let me know if you find anything out about that ghost or what Vlad’s scheming!”

Danny smiled softly and nodded, waving her off. “Go! Go save the world, so I have a world worth saving.”

Sam smiled again. A real smile this time. That deep infectious one that Danny liked. “Thanks for understanding, Danny. I love you.”

The corner of Danny’s mouth quirked. She meant it and they both knew it. Albeit not the traditional, romantic kind of love. It was a platonic love so deep they could swim in it. They had tried dating in high school, but mutually decided that it put too many expectations between them and turned things awkward. So they kept it as friends before the relationship had time to sour things between them. Even after the ‘break up’, they had nights where they kissed and cuddled and found comfort in each other, but that was the extent of it.

“Yeah. I love you too, Sam.”

Their eyes caught for a moment, quirked smiles identical as they both leaned their phones forward and touched their foreheads together at the tops of the phones in unison. After pausing for a moment, they pulled away and hung up, the screens going dark.

It was something they had started doing a few years back, rubbing their foreheads together like that, and it had been kept to, despite the distance. It was an intimate habit, a way of saying goodbyes or just comforting each other. Initially Tucker had refused, claiming he had too much machismo to being doing anything like that, let alone with his best friends, one of which was male. But even he came around eventually, caving in to the intimate form of affection among the trio.

Danny clicked his phone screen on, checking the time absently before pressing play on the music player he had bookmarked on his home screen. His Bluetooth earbuds blared to life, playing something loud with a heavy bass, so he could feel it thump through him, making time with his heart as his thoughts consumed him. Talking to Sam had been nice. He really was being honest when he said he missed her and Tuck, after all. More than he would ever admit. But it felt hollow and temporary. As soon as the line was disconnected, he was enveloped in the reality where he was alone again. Fighting ghosts solo was more of a chore than he remembered it being, and when something strange happened, he realized just how much he had relied on their help. Even just having someone around that knew his secret, since even Jazz had left home years ago on a full ride scholarship to an Ivy League school to pursue her dreams of being a brain surgeon.

Danny’s mind began to wander again so he forced the thoughts from his mind, losing himself in the music as he closed his eyes for a moment. By the time the song he was listening to finished, he stood up quietly and brushed himself off. White rings spread out from his body as he took on his ghostly alter-ego.

He looked out at the road going into the city before him as he stood at the edge of the cheerful sign that read ‘Amity Park! A Nice Place to Live!’. A tiny gasp escaped him as a wisp of white rose from between his lips. He let out a breath and looked toward the city, the nearby ghost catching his attention. He took a moment to adjust his earbuds, making sure they were secure, and tucking his phone into his jumpsuit after cranking up the music.

Danny’s voice was low, with a tired edge to it. “Okay, Phantom… time for work.”

 

Vlad sat at the desk in his study, staring at the white capsules in his hand. He had lost track of how long he had been staring at them, lost in his thoughts, or to be more accurate, lack thereof. 

He felt something soft and warm press against his hand and turned his head to see Maddie, one of his multiple white cats, rubbing comfortingly against his hand. He absentmindedly turned his hand to scratch at her chin for a moment until she was content, scampering off to whatever it was that she kept herself busy with in the massive home.

He couldn’t help what his life had seemed to be reduced to again. It felt too much like all those years ago after his accident. The only difference being that now he had enough money, and his condition wasn’t considered one that was potentially contagious this time, so that he could afford to stay in his home and not have to stay cooped up in a hospital 24/7. Though he may as well have, or so he felt. He spent more days than not going and getting radiation treatments, only to come home and have to be on a regimen of medications.

It had been a little over a month since Nicolae had consulted him and they decided the course of action to take to treat Vlad. After extensive follow up tests, he informed Vlad that the location of the cancerous mass and the size of it meant that it was inoperable, as suspected. So instead they started up an aggressive regimen of radiation and chemotherapy to keep the cancer from growing as fast.

Vlad focused on the pills again, sighing loudly to himself before swallowing them reluctantly. He cringed and sneered at the empty room. His gaze swept across the room, stopping on the manila folder on the seat of one of the wing-backed chairs by his fireplace. It had sat there where Nicolae had left it since that night, ignored. Such an inconspicuous item. Just a plain, boring old manila folder with some test results in them, and yet it was the thing that had condemned him. The very thing that had changed his entire life and told him he had a ticking time bomb in his head.

He suddenly stood up, the office chair he was in shooting back forcefully. Vlad ignored the ache that was starting in his head. Damn. He had forgotten to take his pain pills again. He wondered if part of himself was a masochist with how often he seemed to neglect taking them. He cleared the room in mere moments and swiped up the manila folder. Its blank cover practically glared at him, catching the light from the fireplace. Mocking him.

Vlad angrily threw it across the room, papers falling out as it hit the opposite wall and split open. He turned back again and gripped the tall wing-backed chair, lifting it over his head with a bestial roar before throwing it across the room like it was nothing. In a swift movement, he turned and swung his arm out, toppling and smashing the small table that had rested between the two chairs.

The destruction continued for a few moments until Vlad was breathing heavily. He dropped to his knees, his hands raising to hold his face. But he didn’t weep. He was Vlad Masters and he would not weep over this. He was not mourning. He was ANGRY. There was so much left undone. It was so damn unfair. There was so much he hadn’t been allowed in his life.

He felt better for a moment, after releasing his pent up frustration and rage. At least until his stomach began to tighten up, threatening to release its contents on the floor in front of him. His head started to ache and the all too familiar static returned. A hand raised to his mouth, every fiber of him fighting to gain control over himself. It took what felt like forever, but finally the sour tightness passed mostly. Enough for him to keep his composure again at least.

Vlad stood cautiously, brushing himself off and sweeping his hands over his hair. It hung loose, instead of his usual pony tail. Nicolae had warned him that the treatments he was going through could affect his hair and cause loss, and that any unnecessary stress could increase those chances. So he wore it loose when he roamed his home now, dreading the morning he possibly find clumps of it falling out and he would have to make the decision to finally cut it short at the very least.

The halfa slowly made his way across the destroyed study, making a mental note to have some of the help clean it later. Maybe it would just be easier to have one of the ghosts under his command take care of it. But he wasn’t sure he could trust them with getting the room back in the condition he wanted, outside of getting rid of the mess. No, he would definitely have to have one of the humans under his employment take care of it. But that could wait.

He leaned down and picked up the loose papers and the manila folder that had instigated his outburst. With practiced ease, he straightened the papers out and flipped the folder shut, making his way over to his desk again. After a moment’s pause, he opened the same drawer he had tucked the documents away in initially, slapping the folder into it again and shutting it with a hard snap. He locked the plain lock with a turn of his wrist and let out another sigh. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, he noticed. Sighing, that is. Maybe that isn’t such a big deal though. After all, who wouldn’t sigh a lot if they knew they were dying? If they knew they were rotting away from the inside and condemned to losing themselves in the process? He was allowed to sigh often. Sighing meant he was still breathing.


	4. Chapter 4

Vlad tiredly made his way to his master bedroom. The utter fatigue was something that he would never get used to and he loathed it. He’d had Emma, his head maid and personal cook, make up a small meal for him out of obligation. Small, frequent meals were necessary and Nicolae had stressed them, pestering Vlad repeatedly to make sure he kept to them and wasn’t skipping eating, no matter how little appetite he had. He’d barely been able to finish half of his meal before giving up and deciding to give in to the exhaustion that plagued him. He knew that sleep would do little for it, but some rest would help with the pain and fuzziness. If he was especially lucky, it would put the nausea at bay as well.

He spotted a ball of white fur curled up on the bedspread and a slight smile crossed his face for a moment. He gave a light scratch to the fat ball of fluff in passing, getting a stretch and content yawn in response. His gaze wandered to the bar in the corner of the room, which had been seeing more use, as of late. He made his way to it and prepared a drink before finally sitting on the edge of the massive bed. The ache in his head flared up for a moment. He scrunched up his face in annoyance and took a swig of the drink, yearning for the moment it would dull his thoughts and the throbbing along with it. His opposite hand slipped into his breast pocket, pulling out a silver case and flipping it open. He pulled out a single cigarette. Another bad habit he had picked up again as of late. He had smoked cigars and cigarettes before, but mostly on special occasions or socially for business. Now he turned to them out of habit, enjoying the slight comfort.

He drew the cigarette to his lips and lit it easily, one of the perks of having a fire core. He took a long, deep drag from it, savoring the bitterness before exhaling. The smoke wafted lazily around him, catching his attention for a moment, making him think how similar the way it made a haze around him was to the persistently annoying feeling in his head. Another swig of his drink emptied the glass before he placed it on the bedside table. The plump ball of fluff near him gave him a loud meow as he took another drag of the cigarette before putting it out in the same glass.

Vlad shrugged off his suit jacket and tossed it towards the foot of the bed, finally swung his legs up, not bothering to pull the covers around himself. They weren’t getting much use. He was just so tired lately he couldn’t even be bothered to properly crawl into the bed. So on top it was.

He vaguely noticed another white cat, this one slender and much younger, practically still a kitten, hopping up onto the spread to join him. The two of them curling up close to him, seeming to sense the subconscious need for warmth and comfort. His hand wandered to gently stroke them each in turn as he finally felt a restless sleep start to claim him.

 

Danny sat crossed-legged on his bed, his laptop propped in his lap. The faces of his two best friends pulled up full screen as they joked and caught up like old times. Sam was teasing Tucker and asking how he found the time to become such a looker if he had been so busy with finals. Since moving to California for college, he had finally abandoned the red cap that had adorned his head for years and grown out his hair, having it dreaded and pulled back in a short, high ponytail.

“What can I say? Chicks here dig the hot, smart guy thing! I thought all the girls going to a robotics focused college wouldn’t be worthwhile, but, dude! Guess I just needed the right ladies to appreciate my aesthetic to finally change things up a bit.” Tucker leaned back and gripped his hands behind his head, smirking.

Sam laughed loudly. “That doesn’t even make sense, you loser.”

“Don’t be hatin’ cause you’re jealous of the Tuck-meister. Not my fault you wanted to go look at fish instead of taking in a much better view.” Tucker smirked wider, receiving a laugh and fake gag from Sam, as his glance slid to the opposite side of the screen.

“Okay so… I know it’s been forever and this has all been really nice… but I guess I’ll point out the proverbial elephant, or should I say ghost, in the room…” His face went sullen and his tone became serious.

Danny frowned. He knew this would get brought up and he had been dreading it because of the distinct lack of new information. “Nothing really new. I haven’t been able to figure anything out. There’s been a surge of ghost activity around here, but that happens sometimes so there’s no way to know if it’s connected or not. I ran into another ghost that had the same weird eyes and was acting all feral the other day though. I’ve got it in the thermos for now; I haven’t put it in the containment tank yet. Between the increased ghost activity, and I’ve had to help my parents in the lab a lot lately, I haven’t really had the chance to look into things...”

Worry creased both of the friends’ brows; they started to fidget and lean forward, trying to decide what to say.

“I promise, guys, it’s no big deal. I’ve got it under control. It’s a little weird activity, sure, but it’s not like it’s worse than anything we’ve faced before. Pariah Dark ring any bells? Or any of the infinite other end of the world scenarios? It’ll be okay. Don’t worry so much.” Danny leaned back, purposely trying to shrug the conversation off.

Both of his friends still looked concerned, but they knew once Danny was dismissing or avoiding a topic, it wouldn’t do any good to push the matter. Suddenly Sam’s face lit up and she leaned forward.

“That reminds me! Any more signs of the old creeper or his plans? Maybe he could have a hand in this?”

Tucker lit up in turn. They had filled him in on the gist of the encounter in the lab, without going into extreme detail. He snapped his fingers and jolted upright. “That’s right! Do you think this could be more of Plasmius trying to keep you busy or some stage in some evil plot?” He wiggled his fingers at the screen and raised his eyebrows as he formed the realization.

Danny scrunched up his mouth and nose, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. “No… I don’t know why, but I just have this FEELING... Sure the extra ghost activity could be thanks to him, it has been enough other times after all, but I just… I don’t think so. I can’t explain it. Besides, these… ‘feral’ ghosts? It’s not Plasmius’ calling card. It’s not his style at all. As pompous as he is, it just feels too… I don’t know, lowbrow? It just doesn’t FIT.”

Sam flung her arms in the air. “But how can you KNOW that? This is Vlad Masters we’re talking about. PLASMIUS.”

Tucker nodded in agreement. “Yeah, man. Maybe he’s getting lazy or losing his standards in his old age. There’s no way to really know. And with him staying under the radar, it just makes it all the more suspicious.”

A huff left Danny’s lips as he mulled over things. “Well, I still don’t think there’s a connection. I just can’t shake the feeling. But I haven’t heard a peep from Vlad since the incident in the lab. And that worries me. Vlad quiet? Never a good thing. So even if he’s not involved in this, he’s got to be up to something…”

Danny sat up straight, determination and mild aggravation crossing his face. “And I’m not going to wait around to find out what. It’s time for some reconnaissance, guys. I REALLY hate to cut this short, since we get to do it so rarely… but I’ve got some investigating I need to do. I’m going to find out just what Vlad is up to.” An apologetic look flashed across his face.

The smirk on Tucker’s lips left no room to wonder his feelings on Danny’s decision. “It’s all good, man. You know we understand. Go play Double-O-seven and find out what the deal is.”

Sam nodded but looked anxious. “Good idea, Danny. Just… be careful. You’re going headfirst into the lion’s den. If anything happens, text one of us an S.O.S. or something.”

Danny smiled ever so slightly. “I will be, Sam. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve done this. But I’ll let you guys know if I run into trouble.”

“We’ve got your back, Danny.” Tucker’s smile softened.

Looking between the other two parts of their trio, Danny smiled and his heart thumped in his chest as warmth spread through him. Knowing they meant every word and were there for him even when they couldn’t physically do the same. “Thanks, guys... Later.”

After a moment, the screen darkened with an audible blip. Danny’s face became serious again as he looked at his vague reflection in the dark screen. He slapped the laptop shut and got up, transforming into Phantom silently. He curled his fists next to him out of habit, cracking the joints in his finger. In a few short strides he crossed his room, grabbing up the little gear he carried, just in case, and making sure to check that his phone had a full charge before leaving. As soon as he was ready, he let himself turn intangible and sink down through the floor, passing through the kitchen and down into the lab below.

Thankfully his parents were busy enough with one of their current projects that he was able to open the doors to the ghost portal without attracting attention. He silently thanked whatever entity existed that his parents hyper-focused on their projects and completely blocked out the world around them once they got sucked into a task. Going through the Ghost Zone would shorten his trip significantly. Besides, it would lead directly to the portal in Vlad’s lab, which would be the first place he should look around if he was going to find the root of any evil schemes the man was concocting.

The trip through the ghost zone was uneventful and quick, at least. Thank goodness for small blessings; Danny was far from in the mood for any distractions. Vlad’s silence had actually been a pretty large source of stress for him, but as he had told Tucker and Sam, he honestly had been too busy to put much thought into it. He wanted to know the root of Vlad’s out of character silence. After all, it was always quietest before a storm.

Danny poked his head through the portal in Vlad’s lab, looking around cautiously, before entering as quietly as he could manage once he saw that the lab was empty. The room had an eerie quiet to it, and Danny couldn’t shake the feeling that no one had entered the room in a while. 

Something about how stagnant the air was, or the way the entire room just felt… abandoned. That was the most accurate feeling Danny could think of.

He nosed around for a few minutes in the lab, but quickly moved on, not finding anything out of the ordinary or especially suspicious looking. His eyes stopped on the remnants of some containment tubes. The area had been tidied up and the debris eliminated, but outside of that, the station had been abandoned. Memories of his younger clone and the gruesome proceedings around her origin made Danny shudder. His jaw set at the memories of the fight with Vlad and the events that had taken place here before. Danny quickly shoved the memories from his mind, making a mental note that he hadn’t heard from Dani in a while and should try to contact her soon.

As silently as possible, Danny made his way through the halls of the castle. He couldn’t shake that same eerie feeling of abandonment as he made his way. He would have attributed it to just being part of what comes with a ginormous castle that only a single man resides in, but he had been in Vlad’s home before and it felt different. Different in an uncomfortable way. He breathily let out a low laugh as he mentally compared it to the feeling a haunted house would have.

Danny suddenly stopped, something about one of the doors at the end of the hall grabbing his attention. He let himself phase through the door, taking a look around to realize it was Vlad’s study.

“Jackpot.” Danny muttered to himself. Besides the lab, this would be his best bet for gathering any information.

He slowly scanned the room, finally noticing the large wooden desk across the room. He crossed the room quickly, his feet not touching the ground as he made his way. The top of the desk was bare so Danny promptly switched his attention to the drawers below. One in particular drew his attention though. A long, shallow drawer with a rather plain lock on the front. With a slight tug he found that it wouldn’t budge.

“Now why would you need to keep something locked up if it wasn’t some sort of top secret? Thank you, Vlad.” Danny smirked to himself, turning his hand intangible and feeling around in the drawer. The only thing his hand fell on was a folder stuffed with papers. His eyes lit up and he grinned, yanking the folder through the drawer top look at his prize. What rested in his hand was a bare manila envelope, with a slightly crumpled stack of papers haphazardly stuffed in. Danny’s eyebrow quirked at the disastrous mess of a folder, noting that keeping whatever important paperwork this was in that condition was out of character for someone as meticulous as Vlad.   
He quickly shook his head, shrugging off the fleeting thought. The corner of his mouth rose smugly as he muttered to himself. “Now let’s see what’s got you so busy, V-Man…”

Danny flipped the folder open and started to scan the paperwork inside, flipping through pages quickly. His brow knit together in confusion as he slowed down, flipping back and forth between the pages to make sense of them. Certain buzzwords kept catching his attention.

Danny’s blood ran cold and he lost the feeling in his fingers as his mind finally caught up to what he was reading. His hands shook as confusion took hold of him. His stomach turned to lead, heavy and sinking; he suddenly became overly aware of just how heavy and full his tongue was in his mouth. He had to have read it wrong. Been mistaken. He looked through the paperwork again and checked that Vlad’s full name, sure enough, was on the paperwork in his hands.

The folder suddenly fell from his hands as the cold in his blood took over him. He leaned forward and grabbed for the folder and the papers, trying to stop them from falling. His attempt was in vain though as they hit the ground and scattered, the sound of them hitting and scratching at the floor overly loud in Danny’s ears. His eyes followed one of the pieces of paper as it fluttered towards the floor a few feet away. When it landed, his attention was drawn to a piece of wood on the floor. He looked up and noticed that part of the room was in utter ruin. Broken chairs and tables lay in broken pieces, the walls looking like they took their fair share of damage. It was like there had been a fight or rampage; as if an actual whirlwind had torn through part of the room.  
It was then that it truly sunk in that Danny had just seen something he knew he wasn’t supposed to.

Danny took the room in slowly, the confusion clearing from his eyes after a moment. Realization set in and his breath left him all at once. He fell forward catching himself on the desk with a deafening thump. The sounds briefly made him aware of himself again though and he began to scramble to get the paperwork together. A sound somewhere in the castle caught his attention and he shoved the paperwork back onto the desk in a hurry. The sounds very well could have been nothing, but Danny was in a slight panic and was flustered, not able to think as clearly as he had been earlier.

He quickly turned invisible and rushed his way into the lab and out of the Ghost Portal that resided there. He had to get out of there. He had to get home and talk to someone. Jazz. He had to talk to Jazz.

Skulker had been lurking nearby in the Ghost Zone and attempted to get the ghost boy’s attention, just to get ignored as Danny’s mind buzzed, replaying what he had read over and over in his mind and trying to sort through his confusion. Skulker simply grunted in annoyance at being ignored and went about his way.

 

 

Vlad tossed and turned, his sleep as fitful as he had anticipated. The slender white cat that had been dozing happily under his hand, started to get up, agitated and grumble low in her throat. Vlad roused himself and opened an eye at the feline.

“Now, now, Maddie. Whatever is the matter?” Vlad’s voices croaked, taking a moment to cough and clear it, regretting it the moment his head began to pound from the action. A hand went to his head as his forehead scrunched up in pain. He took a moment to breathe and gather himself, rubbing his temples as he got up. He noticed that the little white cat had left the room to pursue whatever noise had gotten her attention. Maybe a mouse or rat in the castle. With such an old home they were bound to happen and make their way in on occasion.

Vlad stopped when a small noise caught his attention. It was low and quiet, so much so that without his heightened senses thanks to his ghost-half, he wouldn’t have noticed it otherwise.  
“Someone is in my home…” Vlad grumbled, annoyed.

There was always the chance that is was the Dairy King, who was Vlad’s uninvited housemate. An inherited part of the grand castle itself that Vlad had long ago come to accept, albeit begrudgingly. There was also the chance that the source of the noise was simply Skulker making his way in the lab for something, though Vlad hadn’t made contact with the ghost in quite a while and wasn’t expecting him so he doubted it. Not to mention the fact that even with his sensitive hearing he shouldn’t hear much of anything from the lab, with the extensive soundproofing he had made sure to install.

No, Vlad just knew in his bones the noise was foreign.

He made his way through his home, checking with a quick glance into each room as he passed, just to be sure. Finally, he made it all the way to his study, grabbing the doorknob and opening the door with a gentle twist. He glanced around the room at the destruction he had left earlier, remembering to have it taken care of now that he was up. Still oh so tired, but up at least.  
He was about to leave the room again when his desk caught his attention, along with a hauntingly familiar manila folder. Vlad’s face sunk, annoyance barely seeping into his eyes. His memory might not be what it once was, but he was sure of himself.

“Oh butter biscuits…”

He made his way across the room and softly picked up the folder, know for certain he had locked them away so they couldn’t daunt him further. There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind as to why they were out. There was only one person who would have the audacity to snoop into his personal affairs and be as careless as to leave things not as he had found them.

He had security cameras. He could check the footage, of course. But he didn’t need to. He knew.

A heavy sigh escaped him as he collapsed into the chair behind the desk, his body heavy as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. The pain in his head was bubbling up again. The static returning as he tried too hard to think. “Damn you, Daniel… You just can’t let a man have his secrets, can you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, guys! Sorry this update took so long to get posted. The past 2 weeks have been pretty hectic and I've just had a lot going on, so I didn't have much chance to get much writing done. You'll be glad to know though that I should be getting back to some semi-scheduled updates! 
> 
> I don't have a set day, but I can guarantee I'll be posting at least a chapter per week. More if I'm feeling up to it. 
> 
> Things are finally picking up from here on out! So I hope everyone keeping up with this will enjoy it. Comments, kudos, and messages via my tumblr are all appreciated and light that fire under my butt to write more!


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Danny made it through the Ghost Portal into the lab that took up the basement of his family home, it was long past midnight. His parents had thankfully gone to bed; he had half expected them to still be exactly where he had left them when he left. It wasn’t uncommon for them to pull all nighters once they were enveloped in a project. 

He silently counted his blessing and changed back into his human alter-ego the second his feet hit the floor. He ran up the stairs, taking them two by two in leaps and bounds, then making his way up the second flight to his room as quickly as he could. His breathing was heavy by the time he made it to his room. The sole reason he wasn’t completely winded was that years of ghost-fighting had the perk of building his endurance in addition to his strength. He quickly slammed the door behind him when he made it to his room, slowing the second before it shut, so he could quietly click the door into place and lock it. He looked at the time on his phone and chewed at his lip anxiously, thinking hard for a moment. His knuckles popped as he internally argued whether to wait until morning or not. 

After a moment of deliberation, Danny muttered to himself. “Fuck it…” 

He unlocked the screen of his phone and opened the keypad, clicking on the fourth picture tagged on his Favorites List. It only rang twice before the screen lit up, the camera trying to focus with the bright light glaring behind the young ginger woman taking up the screen. 

“Danny? What’s up? It’s like…” She looked over at the wall, presumably at a clock, before doing a mental count to account for time zones. “It’s almost one in the morning, Danny!” 

Danny sighed and walked over to his bed, making himself comfortable and resting his back against the headboard. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry, Jazz… I just wasn’t sure if I should wait until tomorrow or not, to be honest. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

The ginger shook her head, her high ponytail flipping back and forth with the motion. “Nah, I was up working on a thesis. It’s not due for a while, but I want to make sure it’s perfect. What’s got you so stressed out, Little Brother? You look really tired. Is it Mom and Dad? Or… ghost stuff?” She looked around for a moment and said the last bit quietly, from behind the back of her hand, as if someone was watching. 

Danny chuckled slightly, for a moment before shaking his head. “No, nothing like that. I mean, yeah, that too. But that’s nothing new, you know that. I just… I think I saw something I wasn’t supposed to, Jazz…” 

Concern overwhelmed Jazz’s face. “What are you talking about, Danny?” 

A hand rose to Danny’s mouth as he started to gnaw on his thumb nail. “Well… you’re going to be a brain surgeon, right? So like, you know about things like… like brain cancer right?”

Jazz’s face paled immensely, worry seeping into her eyes. “Yeah…. Danny… what happened? Are Mom and Dad okay? What are you talking abou-”

Danny cut her off with a shake of the head. “It’s not Mom or Dad, I promise. Don’t get yourself all worked up. It’s okay.” 

Relief visibly washed over her. “Okay… gosh, Danny, don’t scare me like that! So… who is it? Why, or, what do you want to know?” 

Danny chewed at his nail again for a moment, thinking hard and remembering every word like it was burned into his mind. “...What’s it mean for someone to have ‘Glioblastoma’? And… Stage IV brain cancer, Jazz? Doesn’t that mean someone is…”

Jazz’s mouth pursed at the question. “Well… Danny… Stage IV is the final stage when someone has brain cancer… It generally means that they’re terminal.” 

“So… so it means he’s dying… right?” Danny’s vision lost focus, staring into the distance past the phone screen for a moment as he processed the words. 

“Yeah. Any specifics really depend on the individual case, though. Sometimes the person can be treated, but once someone is in Stage IV… Why... “ Jazz stuttered for a moment, forming the words carefully. “Why are you asking about this, Danny?”

Danny’s eyes lazily slid back to Jazz and refocused. His hand changed position, from chewing his thumb to covering his mouth as his head sank. “Oh God… Oh shit, Jazz… Jesus fucking Christ, he’s fucking DYING?... Oh God. Oh GOD he’s DYING.”

The concern that had left the red-head’s face was quickly returning. “WHO, Danny? Who’s dying?” 

Danny shook his head for a moment before taking a breath and looking back up to the phone screen. “He’s been really quiet lately, Jazz. I figured he was just up to his regular planning and conniving. I was just trying to find out what he was up to. But… I found this paperwork, and it was all medical results and scans…” 

Suspicion crept into Jazz’s mind. “Who, Danny?” 

Danny’s eyes finally met Jazz’s for the first time. “Plasmius… Vlad. He’s DYING…” 

“Oh my God…” Jazz’s hands flew to her mouth as she gasped slightly. 

Danny worried at his lip again, flinching as he tore off a small strip of skin, exposing the rawness underneath. He ran his tongue across it slowly before speaking again. “So… when someone has brain cancer… when… when someone has that and it’s that far along… does it hurt?” 

An empathetic look crossed Jazz’s face. “Danny… are you sure you should be wrapping yourself up in this?”

“Just answer me, Jazz. Please.” Danny’s teeth went to gnaw at the raw spot subconsciously again. 

Jazz took a deep breath, finally replying shakily. “Yeah. It hurts, Danny… It can hurt a lot… There are treatments that can help, but sometimes those hurt too. There are ways to manage pain and any symptoms. But… no matter what, once it’s that advanced…”

Danny nodded his head slowly. 

“Danny, are you sure you should be getting involved in this? Besides… I mean… this is Vlad we’re talking about…” Jazz’s tried to mask the sheer amount of worry she was processing. 

Danny shook his head at her. “No, Jazz. I know it’s Vlad. I know everything he’s done. I know how terrible he is. But… Jazz… no one deserves this… Not even him. It… it explains a lot… the last time I saw Vlad, he wasn’t acting like himself. Like something was wrong. He seemed like he was in pain… and he was… confused.” 

Jazz understood. She understood better than Danny could realize. She had read countless textbooks front to back, and countless studies and records and accounts of various patients with assorted stages of brain cancer. At the time, she had been downright joyful and intrigued at the knowledge. Now, the knowledge almost felt like a burden. She remembered every horrifying detail as patients in those situations, what had merely been like stories and examples to her then, spiralled down the path of such an unforgiving terminal diagnosis. She desperately wished she was home, so she could hug Danny right now. He was right. Vlad was terrible. She hated the man as much as he did after so many years of his devious plots and unsettling advances at their mother. BUT. Even someone like him didn’t deserve this kind of death sentence… 

She noticed Danny’s posture and behavior had become awkward again as his gaze settled on something in the distance, effectively zoning out as his thoughts took hold of him. 

“I can’t let him go through this alone, Jazz. Even if he doesn’t want it… no one should have to go through that alone. And, you know what? Even if he does deserve it… he’s the only other one like me, Jazz. He’s the only other half-ghost in existence… once he’s gone… that’s it. I can’t let both of us have to be alone in this. Besides, who knows? Maybe I can help him. I know I can’t fix this. But, maybe, I can get through to him.” 

Jazz nodded. “Okay, Danny… whatever you decide, I support you. Just be careful, okay?” 

Danny looked at his sister again and his eyes softened. “Thanks, Jazz… I mean it. I’ll call you again once I know a little bit more. Probably, at least. It all kind of depends on how this goes… And I know this is probably just my ‘hero-complex’. But I just can’t just forget now that I know.”

Jazz smiled ever so slightly. “I know you can’t, Little Brother. And maybe it’s a hero-complex. Or maybe you’re just a good person… I don’t know if I’d be able to put everything behind me to be there for someone, if I was in that position. So I’m really proud of you. And even if it’s for selfish reasons… it’s okay for you to be selfish once in awhile, Danny. I know you’ll do the right thing. You always have.” 

Danny smiled warmly at his sister. “Thanks, Jazz… I miss you. And I love you.” 

They both sat on the line for a moment longer before hanging up, the screens going dark. Danny let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. 

He flopped onto his side and yanked up his blankets, bundling up tight. He needed to get some sleep now that he’d had time to process everything. It was still immensely overwhelming, but he wasn’t in full-on freak out anymore. He wasn’t unsure of what he had discovered now, and he’d made a decision about what he would do. He still wasn’t sure how he would do it, but he would tackle that when he came to it. For now, he’d take things one thing at a time. And at that very moment, that meant sleep. Danny’s eyes grew heavy, his mind still racing over every detail of the evening, until finally he drifted off into a deep, dreamless slumber. 

 

It was both a blessing and a curse that the next day was excruciatingly busy for Danny. From the moment he woke up, there had been chaos in the lab. His father had decided to do a test run of some new equipment, which, as Danny’s mother had warned him, was far from ready for anything past computerized simulations. This meant Danny was quite busy with helping clean up the resulting explosion, which Jack had thankfully at least had the forethought to do inside a safety chamber. It also meant he spent the day helping his parents rebuild said tech and reconfigure the blueprints. He had found that he was oddly good at working on things from the base up, like this. It was like a big puzzle, getting things to function piece by piece. Normally he liked that doing so kept his mind busy, but today it did little to take his mind off his plans and trying to figure out how he would confront Vlad. Being so distracted made his usually immersive work significantly harder. He found himself making little mistakes and having to backtrack, something his mother took notice of over the span of the day. 

The teal-jumpsuited woman frowned, putting a gloved hand to Danny’s forehead. “Are you alright, Danny? This isn’t like you at all. You’ve replaced that capacitor three times now.” 

Danny batted her hand away and gave a halfhearted smile. “Yeah, Mom. I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep too great I guess.” The lie came naturally. He’d had enough days where he had been left groggy from late nights of ghost-hunting, that tiredness was an occasional problem he faced. 

She glanced up at the wall, taking note of the time. “Well, I’ll probably stop to go make dinner soon, so why don’t you call it a day? Go get a nap and I can let you know when it’s ready. Today was a little bit of a lost cause progress-wise anyway, so stopping a little early won’t put our progress any more further behind schedule.” 

“Sure. That sounds good, Mom. I’m not all that hungry though, so just leave me a plate in the microwave? I’ll eat it later.” Danny gave another slight smile, cocking his head slightly.

Maddie smiled and leaned up to kiss his forehead, he had passed her up height-wise by a good bit during his teenage growth spurts, and ruffled his hair affectionately. “Of course, sweetie! Everyone has their off days, so you go rest up. I know we keep you pretty busy, most days. You’ve just really taken to all this so much better than I thought you would. You really are our son; we’re so proud that you’ve decided to help with our research and you’ve definitely got a knack for working on new inventions and technology.” She had affectionately side eyed towards Danny’s father when she said the first part, making Danny chuckle. 

“Thanks, Mom. I guess I just learned from the best.” 

Maddie beamed at her son and shooed him off to shower and get some rest. 

Danny took his cue and left the lab. As soon as the door shut behind him, he pressed his back to the door, looking around and taking a breath as he turned himself invisible. A hot shower, dinner, and some sleep sounded absolutely fabulous to him right now, but he had other matters to attend to, and he wouldn’t be at ease until he did so. 

He silently made his way back through the lab, waiting and watching as his parents finished up the projects they were working on and heading up to the kitchen themselves. It only took a few minutes, but those minutes dragged on for hours as Danny waited. The minute the door to the lab locked behind them, Danny opened the Ghost Portal, white rings passing over his body as he transformed. Without a moment’s hesitation he made his way into the Ghost Zone. He still wasn’t one hundred percent certain what he would say, or how, but that didn’t matter. He had to try and he couldn’t shake the sense of urgency that accompanied it.


	6. Chapter 6

Vlad hadn’t been lucky enough to be able to get back to sleep after he had been woken by his late night intruder. He spent the rest of his early morning in his study, mostly lost in his thoughts. Well, some thoughts. Most of that time he found he would zone out rather easily, his mind filled with static. He’d notice some small detail in the wood grain of his desk, or in the flicker of the fireplace, and lose himself, only realizing he had done so and snapping out of it minutes later. 

At one point something caught the corner of his eye and he looked over to realize his resident housemate, the Dairy King, had made himself comfortable in a corner of the room, seemingly content just to lounge around and loiter there. Vlad quirked an eyebrow at the robust, moustached ghost, giving an unmistakable look that screamed ‘I want to be alone.’ It did little to phase the old ghost, though, gaining him nothing more than a chuckle. 

“You can shoot those dagger eyes at me all you want, boy’o.” The ghost’s laugh was merry and his belly shook, reminiscent of a certain other fat old man from folklore. “It takes more than that to scare an old spook like me. I live here too, you know. So to speak, at least. I know you’re all bark and no bite, at least towards me.” A smirk graced his face.

Vlad sighed loudly in agitation but went back to ignoring the ghost. He pressed his thumb and forefinger tightly on the bridge of his nose, focusing on his breathing as a spike of pain surged through his head. His opposite hand started to shake slightly. When he noticed this, glancing at his hand from the corner of his eye, he clenched his fist as tight as he could manage and pressed it to the cold, hard wood of his desk. 

After a moment, the worst of the pain and shaking passed, so he relaxed his hands and took a slow, deep breath. He let his gaze slip to the watch on his wrist, noticing the time just as it struck 5 in the morning. He gave his face a slow rub and rose from his chair, muttering to himself. “Alright, old boy… one day at a time.” He noted that, thankfully, the old ghost that had been in his company had since vanished. At least that was one thing he wouldn’t have to deal with at the moment. 

He had very briefly known the man in his later living years, having the man’s wealth become his inheritance and glory. Of all the cons and tricks he had pulled to gain his vast fortune, it had easily been the most notable. It was strange for the old ghost to make a point of appearing though. He could easily be found around the old castle at any time, but he happily kept to himself for the most part. He liked his quiet and his peaceful time alone. The old ghost must have been poking his nose in Vlad’s personal matters, listening in and the like. The goodhearted intent disgusted Vlad even more than the invasion of his privacy. There wasn’t much he could do about the latter, after all. 

The rest of Vlad’s morning dragged by, as it had so often lately. Another regimen of chemotherapy that left him feeling even worse, for hours afterward. An especially violent vomiting session left him feeling weak enough that he simply wanted to immediately go back to bed and cancel anything else he needed to do for the day. Being the man he was, of course, that wasn’t an option. Instead he settled for handling his meeting with his board of directors via video conference instead of making the tiresome trip down to the building. Technology was such a wonderful thing. It made handling his business endeavors all the easier when he didn’t have to handle then face to face every time. It had made handling multiple businesses and schemes at the same time significantly easier to manage over the years, and now it made hiding his medical leave just as simple. If they had gotten wind of him being ill, let alone dying, they’d be in a tizzy to pull the rug out from under him and take control of his businesses. Which, obviously, he wouldn’t allow. 

Once he dealt with the board and a few major shareholders though, he took a much needed shower and changed into a soft, black v-neck sweater and some comfortable jeans, forgoing his usual suit. The casual attire wasn’t his preference, but he was willing to compromise; he had quickly found out how much worse vomiting felt in constricting dress clothes. Vlad ran a hand down the front of his sweater, down his stomach, to stop as he decided to untuck the shirt. He noticed that the shirt hung loosely on his frame. The waistband of his jeans was starting to loosen as well. His weight loss was starting to become more noticeable. All the more reason to avoid his suits, unless he had business to take care of. He needed to have his tailor come and take them in before it became noticeable. Besides, an ill-fitted suit was beneath him. 

He took a moment and looked at himself in the full length mirror, as he stood in his dressing room. It was actually his closet, but it was a roomy enough walk-in style that he used it as a dressing area more often than not. His fingers ached as he untied his ponytail and dragged his fingers through the strands to unfasten them, so they were comfortably loose down his neck and shoulders. The dark circles under his eyes haunted him. He looked as tired and worn as he felt.

Once he was changed and comfortable, he went about the business of having his study put back in order. He easily could have had it redone exactly as it had been before, but he decided to go ahead and use the chance to make some changes. Of course he personally oversaw the work from the comfort of his desk, directing workers and making sure everything was placed just so. He had two large, high-backed chairs placed near each other, with a small end table in between again, but added a lounger to the setup. By the time they were just finishing up, a light knock on the doorframe drew his attention. A familiar face smiled at him, with what Vlad saw as concern in his eyes, as he held up a bag. 

Vlad returned the small smile and waved the man in. “Ah, Nicolae! Do come in. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about our meeting, I was just overseeing some last minute redecorating.” 

Nicolae nodded knowingly and came in, seating himself at the new lounger taking up part of the room. He held up the bag again and shook it slightly before delving his hand into it. “I know how stubborn you can be, so I brought an early dinner. Though I know for you it’s probably already a late lunch. I expect you to accompany me.” The dark-haired man smirked. 

Vlad sighed and couldn’t hold back the slight grin that slid across his face as he got up to go join the other man. He hadn’t forgotten to eat, by any means, but had found himself unable to stomach the thought of actually eating thanks to his treatment that morning, and the resulting nausea. He politely accepted the sandwich that Nicolae held out for him though. “Aren’t you just downright motherly, hmm? Shall you check that I’m brushing my pearly whites, as well?” 

Nicolae laughed loudly. “I hadn’t intended to, but if you insist. Though, last I checked, dentistry wasn’t my field of study.” 

The two chuckled and went about quietly eating for a moment, the older of the two watching as his fair-haired junior only took a few spare bites, trying to look convincing as he attempted to hide the unsettled look each mouthful brought. With a sour expression, he finally gave up, giving his attention to the tea that Emma had brought in moments ago. 

Nicolae cleared his throat before finally speaking again, his voice much more somber this time. 

“It’s getting worse.” It was a statement more than a question. 

Vlad waved a hand at the other man, dismissing it. “Oh, it’s nothing.” 

“There’s absolutely no need for false pretenses here, Vlad. It’s inevitable and there’s no shame in admitting it, so you can at least be comfortable. Don’t suffer for no reason, outside of your own pride. You aren’t on any maximum dosages yet, so we can increase your doses. It’ll help with the pain and nausea.” Nicolae frowned. 

Vlad stayed silent for a bit, contemplating before finally agreeing with a curt nod, albeit begrudgingly. 

The rest of the visit went by silently, a heavy feeling thick in the air. Nicolae left an assortment of bottles for the younger man on his desk, making note of the new dosages and how Vlad should be taking them. As he explained them, Vlad nodded attentively, though the bored look on his face was betrayed by the hollowness in his eyes. Nicolae placed a comforting hand on the man’s shoulder before finally taking his leave, promising to check in again in a week or two. 

Vlad stood where Nicolae had left him for what seemed like hours, silently staring down the offensive bottles that stood on his desk. When he came to, he glanced at his watch to realize he really had been in a daze for much longer than he had thought. The entire afternoon had passed him by. He turned around to see that Emma had come and gone yet again, leaving a tray with a meal for him on a table. He casually thought to himself that the dutiful, young woman deserved a raise, and made a mental note to have it arranged. Despite her wonderful cooking skills, though, he couldn’t find it in himself to eat more than a few bites, as had quickly become his norm lately. 

He instead went about gathering his favorite decanter, filled with his choice whiskey, and placed the crystal set at the table. It took him a moment to make himself comfortable in one of the chairs that was within reach. Once he had, though, he poured himself a glass, using it to down a handful of the pills Nicolae had left with him. There was probably some advisory on at least one of them about not taking it with alcohol, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, try as he might. 

His gaze slid back to the decanter set lazily, letting the liquor and the medicine kick in. He had been ignoring a painful buzz in his head all day, but had done little to acknowledge it since he was becoming so used to the feeling. When had pain become a ‘normal’ feeling? He couldn’t pinpoint when, which unsettled him. It all had happened so fast and yet it all felt like a lifetime already. 

He found himself mentally tracing the design etched onto the crystal decanter and it’s matching glasses. His crest, a shield with an intricate ‘M’ gracing it, in olde english lettering. He lost himself there again for awhile, when a muffled sound caught his attention. His vision refocused; apparently his vision had tunneled as his attention had been taken up by the crystal set before him. 

He slowly looked up and turned his head slightly, recognizing the person coming up behind him as they cleared their throat. 

“Hello, Daniel.” 

The young man didn’t seem surprised that he had recognized him. He made his way around the chair and table so that he was next to the fireplace, facing Vlad. Silence hung heavy in the air as the two watched each other for a moment. 

Danny took in Vlad’s appearance slowly. He wasn’t in his usual business suit, which had taken Danny off guard. The black sweater and jeans looked good on the man. They made him seem less frigid. The way they hung on his frame, though, Danny suspected that the man was losing weight. Afterall, Vlad Masters wasn’t the type to intentionally wear clothes too large for himself. He was way too prim and proper. Greying hair hung loose around his face and down his back. It almost looked effeminate, but the man’s square jaw and set face countered it. All together it made him look like a completely different person. Not in a bad way, though, he found himself thinking briefly. His face looked tired though, dark bags hanging heavy under his vacant eyes.

Vlad finally broke the silence, already completely aware of why the young man had come. He had half expected it, though he had to admit a small part of him deep inside was slightly shocked, assuming the boy would be too busy shouting excitedly from the rooftops. But no… Danny wasn’t like that. After all, he was ‘good’. He felt empathy for others, no matter if they wanted or deserved it. Damn him and his pity. 

“So, what, may I ask, brings you to my home? Not once, but two nights in a row?” 

That one seemed to shock the young man. He stepped back for a moment, his mouth agape. It made Vlad chuckle as he pulled his glass to his lips, draining it before pouring another. 

Danny regained his composure by the time Vlad had finished pouring his second glass, snapping his mouth shut. “You sure you should be drinking? Pretty sure that’s the kind of thing they tell you to avoid, isn’t it?” His forehead creased slightly, in what was probably concer. Vlad was so damned tired of the looks of concern that were being pointed at him. This young man, this boy, in front of him, being the absolute last person he wanted it from.

Vlad laughed at the young man’s question though. “And why should I care about a little thing like that, when I’ve already been given a death sentence, hm, dear boy?” 

Vlad pulled the silver case from his pocket and lit a cigarette, taking a deep pull and breathing out the smoke, pointedly at the younger halfa. Danny opened his mouth to argue but snapped it shut again, finding that he didn’t have much to say in response. 

After a moment he gathered himself and spoke up again. 

“So, it’s true then.” 

Silence was the only immediate answer he received. 

Vlad took another drag from the cigarette in his hand before exhaling, annoyance dripping in his voice. “Don’t play games or beat around the bush, Daniel. We both know you know. You saw the paperwork yourself. You just can’t let an old man have his secrets, can you? For someone who keeps half of their life hidden so well, you don’t seem to comprehend that someone besides you would have a part of their life they wanted to keep to themselves…” 

He put out the rest of the cigarette, still half unused, in the ashtray he had recently procured. His hand went up to rub at his temples, slow and firm. The meds and alcohol had been helping keep the ache away, but the stress of his current visitor, and choice of conversation, was quickly bringing it back with a vengeance. 

Danny chewed at his lip for a moment, watching the older halfa, contemplating what to say. “... How long? Have you known, I mean?”

Vlad’s head snapped to look at him, his eyes darting to make contact as his lip curled into an annoyed sneer. “And just why do you want to know, Little Badger…”

Danny stopped himself from recoiling at the reaction, replying without hesitation. “Because, you shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”

The response froze Vlad where he sat. For a split second his mind went blank and the pain blurring his vision went completely numb. He wasn’t completely sure what he had expected to hear back, but it wasn’t that. 

He caught himself getting lost in his thoughts, absorbing the answer, and recovered quickly. The sneer crossed his face again for a moment before he turned his face away from the younger man again. After a moment he spoke up again, finally. “Why do you even care? I don’t want your pity and I surely don’t want to be a source for you to inflate your ever growing ego.”

Danny couldn’t help but slightly smirk at that for a moment before the somber expression bled back through. “I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t at least some pity… but that’s not why I’m here. That’s not why I asked. I asked because of exactly what I said. You might be one seriously crazed up fruit loop… but that doesn’t mean you deserve to go through this alone. I can’t let you go through this alone. I won’t. Even if you don’t want me here, right now, maybe it’ll help, somehow. If there’s even a chance, I’m going to take it. Despite all of the shit you’ve done… you don’t deserve this, Vlad…” 

Vlad sat perfectly still for a few moments, silence overwhelming the room. Finally he took a low breathe and a sigh escaped him. “Do as you please, Daniel. We both know you’ll find a way to anyway.” 

He reached out to his decanter and started to pour himself another drink. As he set it back down and grabbed his glass, he noticed a slight quiver across the liquid inside, his hand shaking ever so slightly. He gripped the glass tighter, mentally cursing himself and trying to will his fingers to still. They didn’t listen, no matter his silent pleas. He cursed under his breath, hoping that the young man near him hadn’t noticed, at least. He didn’t want the younger halfa confusing his shaking for emotional weakness. 

Danny saw the man’s hand shake though. He saw the amber liquid quiver inside and he saw the fear, anger, and concentration on Vlad’s face. He wanted to reach out and soothe the man somehow. His hand started to rise so he could glad Vlad’s shoulder comfortingly, but he quickly retracted his arm, clenching his fist and staring down at it, unable to find an acceptable excuse to touch the man in that manner. His attention was dawn again as he heard the older man speak again, so low he barely caught it. 

“A few weeks… a few months. Maybe more? The signs were there long before the concern set in. Before I looked for an answer that I knew I didn’t want.” Vlad took a slow sip of his drink before setting it down, staring into the fire that had started to burn down. 

A realization hit Danny like a ton of bricks and he mentally kicked himself for not putting the pieces together before he had come. He stared, wide-eyed at Vlad. “That’s why you wanted my parents diagnostic scanner…” 

Vlad merely nodded in response, his eyes never leaving the embers of the fire. 

A hand rose to rub the back of Danny’s neck. If only he had known, back then. If only he’d had a way of knowing.

The static and buzzing pain were slowly building to a dull roar in Vlad’s head by now. He grit his teeth and clenched his eyes shut. A wave of nausea was building inside of him, and with his already visibly shaking hands, it was just another weakness he didn’t feel like having the young man witness. “Now, if you little visit is quite over, I am very tired. So unless you intend to spend your time watching me sleep, I’m sure you can show yourself out.”

Danny watched the strain on Vlad’s face and clenched his fists. He looked to his phone for a moment to check the time, seeing that it was much later by now than he had intended to be here for. At least for tonight. He still had to work for his parents the following day after all. 

“Yeah... Okay… I meant what I said though. I’ll be back.” Danny turned to leave as he spoke. 

Vlad scoffed under his breath, his hand returning to its familiar spot lately, to alternately rub his temples and the bridge of his nose. “I have no idea what you think you’ll accomplish, Little Badger. But do as you please. Just don’t become an annoyance.” He huffed the last part quietly under his breath, knowing the younger halfa heard him all the same. 

Danny turned back towards the man partially, looking past his own shoulder to glance at him. He wanted to say something else but found himself struggling for just what. 

After hesitating for a moment, he let himself turn intangible; and silently made his way back towards Vlad’s Portal. He started the journey home, his mind distractedly trying to filter the interaction just now, and figure out his course of action, before crawling into bed for a few hours rest before he had to tackle the upcoming day. 

Meanwhile,Vlad breathed a little easier, now that the young man had finally left. He wasn’t sure what to make of the young halfa’s resolve. But he was sure of one thing. It wouldn’t last. Let him do as he pleased and he’d soon see how pointless of a goal it was. 

He got up briefly to grab a handful of pills, swallowing them dry, where he stood, too impatient for some semblance of relief to even bother with pouring a drink to take them. Once he did, he laid down on the lounger he’d had brought into his study, a tired hand covering his face as he tried to will away his nausea. He should probably make his way to his bedroom but he was fairly certain he wouldn’t be able to make it there without being violently ill. So he settled for attempting to rest where he was. After a few minutes, when the plethora of medicines finally started to kick in, he found himself falling into a restless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! I know this update was a few days late, so I apologize guys. I'll be real honest, it was finished a few days ago but my beta reader and I are Pokemon nuts and as you all know Pokemon Go dropped the other day. SO that's what has taken up our time instead of editing this chapter like good little fic writers/editors. 
> 
> I hope it's worth the wait though! 
> 
> As always, comments, kudos, and messages are my lifeblood and keep me motivated and absolutely make my day!
> 
> And to any of you in the Phandom who are also Pokemon Trainers enjoying the Go release like we are, happy hunting!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Graphic//violent scenes at the end of this chapter. Updated story tags to reflect this.

The next day at Fentonworks had, thankfully, been much less eventful than the previous. The morning had started with a moment of panic when he groggily looked at his bedside clock to realize he had grossly overslept. It was already almost noon. 

Danny flew out of bed so fast that he barely felt his feet hit the floor. Throwing on what he hoped were clean clothes from on top of his dresser, he made his way downstairs, and then down to the lab. He was panting and grabbing his chest as he skid to a halt, already breathily starting on an apology for being so late. It wasn’t as if he had a set time he had to start work with his parents, but they were early risers and started early in the morning. Although they wouldn’t do anything drastic if he was late, he knew they would be disappointed and lecture him about being responsible and timely, that he was too old to be lazy. 

“I am SO sorry, Mo-” Danny found himself frozen in confusion at his mother’s smiling face before him, as she looked up from her current project. 

“Danny! Good morning, sleepyhead! Well, I guess it’s almost good afternoon by now.” The woman’s smile quirked at him.

Danny’s mouth gaped in confusion. “Um… you’re not mad at me for sleeping in?” 

Maddie put down the pieces of equipment in her hands and closed the distance between them to pinch his cheek affectionately for a moment. “Well, I’m not condoning laziness, but you seemed so out of it yesterday, Danny. You didn’t even wake up to eat your dinner that I left out for you. So I figured sleeping in this once couldn’t hurt. You can’t run yourself completely ragged.”

At the mention of the forgotten dinner, Danny felt his stomach groan hungrily. His cheeks went red as his mother chuckled at the noise. 

“Go on, Danny. Go eat something and then come on down and you can help me double check some schematics. I know you’re good at catching those small errors. Are you at least feeling better after some rest?” She pulled her goggles up to rest them on the top of her head, eyeing Danny carefully. 

Danny nodded in response, touched and relieved at his mother’s concern. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better now. Thanks, Mom.” 

Maddie nodded, content with the response. She grabbed her son’s shoulders and spun him around pushing him up the stairs and out of the lab. “Now, go! Eat! I won’t have you getting caught up on sleep just to faint because you aren’t eating enough. You might be learning the business from us, but I’m still your mother and I WILL do just that. Mother you!”

Danny couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of him. “Okay! Okay, Mom! I get it. I’ll go eat, I promise.” He picked up his pace and finished climbing the stairs, turning back to glance at his mother, who was standing at the base of the steps. 

Her arms were crossed, her hip cocked in the stubborn fashion she was prone too. The same one Jazz had inherited and perfected. She uncrossed her arms to make shooing motions at him. Danny earnestly smiled at her. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” 

She smiled back at him, muttering something about it just being part of the job, before turning and getting back to work on the project she was tinkering with. She kept returning her attention to a set of physical blueprints that were covered in marks and calculations. Probably the plans that she was going to have Danny help check over later. 

Danny turned and made his way into the kitchen. He honestly did feel a bit better after getting some sleep. He didn’t much get the chance to sleep for more than three or four hours at a time, between ghost fighting, night patrols, and working in the lab during the day. His mind was still filled with his countless worries, primarily Vlad and the current feral ghost mystery. But even just being physically rested made him feel better. He could think more clearly. Maybe his mother and Sam were right. Maybe he needed to take some time to recoup more often. 

When he made his way through the kitchen, he noticed a yellow post-it note tacked to the fridge. He curiously peeled it off and read the message, which was scrawled in his mother’s elegant script, a far cry from his father’s chicken-scratch. 

‘Open me’ was all that was written on it, with a smiley face underneath it. It reminded Danny of the notes his mother would leave him on his paperbag lunches as a kid. He did as the note prompted and opened the door of the fridge. She must have left the note because she knew that he would probably just go for the cupboard and settle for something prepackaged. Inside the fridge sat a pyrex container with plastic wrap over the top. He couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face when he recognized the homemade blueberry coffee-cake in it. It was one of Danny’s favorites, ever since he could remember. It was some family recipe that had been passed down, and was one of the few things that never had the bad luck of getting cross-contaminated with anything ghostly because of that fact. 

Danny happily cut himself a slice and warmed it up, sitting down at the kitchen table and taking his time savoring it. His parents may let their lives be consumed by their research, inventing, and ghost hunting, but, at the heart of it, they were really great parents. They worried and cared. They just tended to be a bit distractible. Danny took the time while he ate to check his phone. He froze for a moment when he saw missed calls and messages from both Sam and Tucker checking in, curious as to what Danny had found on his little reconnaissance mission. He chewed at his lip for a moment. What he had found out was the last thing he had expected, and it didn’t feel like it was his place to tell even more people about Vlad’s situation. Not to mention, he was pretty sure both Sam and Tucker would flip and be far from supportive when they heard his decision to be there for his arch-nemesis. 

He deleted the messages and decided against trying to call either of them for now. He knew avoiding them wasn’t something he could do or long, and he didn’t much want to. So he sent them both a short message saying that he was busy with his parents’ research and he’d talk to them when he could. It would only placate the two for a short while, but it would give Danny time to figure out what he was going to say. It would also give him time to handle the two feral ghosts, so he could give them some sort of update about that mystery as well. 

With a small clinking sound, his fork dropped to his plate, his stomach full and content, now that he had finished his meal. He went about washing his plate and setting it to dry before making his way back down to the lab to assist his mother. 

His father was off in another part of the lab, working like a madman on a new design that had come to him, sketching out the basics for it before the idea left him. 

Danny had been right; the blueprints that his mother had been inspecting earlier were what she asked for his help with. He meticulously checked over them, inspecting some of the physical parts on occasion to compare notes and get a hands on feel for certain parts. It was part of solving the puzzle for him. Getting his hands on something very literally helped him get a better feel for them and he could figure them out faster. After a few hours he found the problem and helped his mother fix the issue, which had proven to be a simple matter of rerouting the tool’s power and trying to prevent any overheating issues. As soon as Danny figured out a way to fix the problem, his mother beamed with pride, absolutely ecstatic that he had caught something that even she and Jack had overlooked, even if it was something simple. It usually was. 

Jack beamed at his son in turn when Maddie showed him the plans she was drawing up for the improvements. “Just needed another set of eyes! That’s my boy!” 

Danny flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. This might not have been his dream situation, but it still felt good to be praised for his work. 

By the time he had finished, it was early evening, so his parents let him ‘clock out’ for the day. 

He took the time to go about making up some dinner, eating his portion and leaving the rest of the meal in the pot for his parents when they finished up with their work. 

Once he was done, he made his way up to his room, finally able to turn his attention to the second of his current major concerns. Making sure his bedroom door was securely locked, Danny pulled out the containment unit with the first feral ghost in it. Her form was still unstable, occasionally fading out and become a ghostly green blur, and her breathing was very ragged. He tried tapping on the container and speaking to her but his attempts were ignored. 

Danny let out a sigh and turned the containment unit so he could access the digital controls that hung from the side. He punched in a series of commands and eventually managed to create a barrier within the unit, separating the tank into two sections, one with the first ghost inside and the other half being empty. 

Danny scooped up the thermos and tossed it up and down in his hand for a moment. “Alright, let’s see if we have any better luck with you, hmm?” 

Danny attached the thermos to a slot on the opposite side of the containment unit, twisting it so the two pieces securely latched together. He pressed the button on the thermos that would release the ghost and watched as the second ghost began to form behind the glass. 

He was a young man, barely older than older than Danny. He had short, dark hair and was wearing a button up shirt, with the collar open. As he started to form in the formerly vacant half of the tank, Danny noticed he had the same lethargic appearance as the female ghost, his chest rising and falling heavily with slow, labored breathes. He also seemed relatively unstable; even after he had fully been transferred to the containment area, his physical form flickered in and out every few moments.

Danny sat down and crossed his legs, rubbing his chin and watching for a moment, letting the ghost adjust for a moment and observing him before he tried to talk to him. 

The ghost slowly started to flick his eyes around the containment unit, his stare vacant and not focusing on anything in particular as he looked around. He finally glanced over at Danny for a moment, his gaze focusing for a moment. His breathing seemed to become slightly more erratic and his chest heaved.

“Hey… I’m sorry about sticking you in there, and all. But I wanted to make sure you were okay and try to talk to you-”

His words stuck in his throat as he noticed the blue blood vessels spreading through the ghost’s eyes as his breathing continued to escalate at an alarming rate. Danny worried that the ghost would attempt to throw itself at him, and into the wall that separated them, but this thought was short-lived. 

Danny’s attention was suddenly drawn to the opposite side of the containment center. The robust, red-headed ghost suddenly seemed to take notice of her tank-mate through the semitransparent force field separating them. She slowly turned her head to stare at him, her head cocking to the side with an eerie clicking sound. For a moment the two ghosts’ eyes met, and Danny couldn’t help but hold his breath as that single moment lasted a lifetime. 

As long as that one moment felt, it was over in an instant, the tension between them finally snapping like a rubber band stretched past the breaking point. 

The red-headed ghost hissed, the sound slowly evolving into a low screech as she turned to fully face the other. The male ghost growled, low and guttural, before launching himself at her, letting out his own howl of rage in turn. 

Danny panicked at the outburst, the sound overwhelming him. The words ‘oh shit’ repeated over and over in his mind as his fingers flew to the controls on the containment unit, stumbling to turn on the noise silencer it was equipped with. The shrill screaming cut off in an instant, the sudden silence of his room deafening and unsettling, all the more so as the aggressive display continued before his eyes. Danny’s heart lumped in his throat, the sound of his pulse pounding in his ears. He silently prayed his parents were busy in the lab so they wouldn’t have heard the commotion. 

He watched, his eyes wide, as the male ghost continued to throw itself at the barrier in the containment unit. The female ghost kept her distance from the barrier but continued to silently scream at the other, slackjawed. Danny was just thanking his lucky stars for the barrier between them when he saw an electric spasm in the wall. It started to spark and sputter as the male ghost continued his barrage against it, clawing at it and beating on it with the force of his entire body. The sheer force was slowly turning one of his arms into an oozy pulp, as if he didn’t feel anything, let alone any pain that should have been registering. 

Danny pounded on the top of the tank in a moment of panic. “Stop it! You need to stop! You’re going to-” 

Suddenly the flickering barrier sparked and dissolved and Danny cursed to himself and hit the containment unit again, trying to get it to short-circuit back on. To his horror though, it wouldn’t turn back on. 

The second the barrier was down, the two ghosts lunged at each other. Danny couldn’t keep up with the blur of claws and teeth and screaming. Time stretched out and everything felt like it was both sped up and slowed down at the same time. Finally Danny’s sight caught up with the scene before him as the red-head ghost clawed at the male’s throat. Black bile poured from the wound as it started to ooze from her mouth as well. The male ghost’s claws pushed against her, finally searching and grabbing at her face as they silently screamed at each other. He managed to cram him claws into her mouth and Danny’s face went white with terror. Danny couldn’t help but mentally hear the grotesque crunch as the male ghost cracked open the other’s mouth, the jaw partially dis-attaching and hanging loose, black bile pouring more freely from the mouth that now hung unnaturally from her skull. 

The scene only lasted a few moments longer. Both ghosts went limp, dissolving into a gory mess of green ectoplasm and black bile. 

Danny’s brought a shaky hand to cover his mouth, trying to keep his own bile from rising up. He felt so cold. The scene before him as the two ghosts mindlessly destroyed and mauled each other was one of the most horrific things he’d seen and it shook him to his core. He slowly covered the containment unit back up and shoved it away in his closet to clean later. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to stomach it right now, anyway. 

His steps slow and heavy, he made his way to his bathroom and splashed some water onto his face. He couldn’t get the scene out of his mind. He had seen a lot of violence in his years as Phantom, but something about that just then… it sat so utterly wrong with him. The feral behavior of those ghosts was unsettling. That they so easily disregarded harming themselves to break the barrier and attack the other. Sure, some ghosts that were animals could be mindlessly dangerous, but they had been human. They shouldn’t be so… mindless. The black bile also sat at the forefront of his mind. This mystery had just gotten even bigger and he had to get to the bottom of it. Because, he was thoroughly sure now, that this wouldn’t be the last he’d see of whatever this was. 

Danny grumbled under his breath. “As if I don’t have enough on my plate…”

He leaned over his bathroom sink, bracing himself on both hands and looking up into his reflection with a deep sigh. “I think I’m going to need to call in some backup…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, guys! I know I promised weekly updates and failed to pull through again, but forgive me. I caught a really horrible summer cold and have been sick for the past 4 days. I still am feeling pretty under the weather, but I powered through because I've been itching to get this chapter out. So I hope you guys enjoyed it and that it's worth it! 
> 
> No Vlad this chapter, but we'll be getting back to him soon enough~
> 
> And I'd like to thank everyone for the sudden influx of comments, kudos, and messages on tumblr! It really pumps me up to know so many people are enjoying this story, especially since it's been one that I've been playing around with and wanting to write for such a long time. I'm enjoying feeling like I'm telling it exactly as I envisioned. So thanks, guys! You're my motivation to keep this story going even when I'm coughing up a lung~


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